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Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Swinging Back Into Blog Mode

ORIGINALLY POSTED: 2/5/2009

Ah, so many thoughts, so many places to record them. Here’s one for you:

Many months ago, I ran across CurlyGirl Designs. I LOVE this woman’s artwork and thoughts on life. One magnet I recently purchased states, “The world is full of people who will go their Whole lives and not actually Live one day. She did not intend on being one of them”. That about sums it up!

I know every time I look at this, the fire in my belly burns a little bit brighter, a little stronger. Even if I only sit a bit straighter to improve my health so I can LIVE how I’d like, it is something. (I fully intend to jump out of my seat, burst out my front door and run down the street yelling “YES” in my pink tiara and high heels…c’ept I couldn’t find my feather boa and I was afraid of slipping on the ice. Next time.)

I know how this hits me, how it makes me feel. Starting my journey as a yoga instructor, I am faced everyday with LIVING or, well…., sleeping. Seriously, it is quite the challenge these days. It is so easy to go back to doing versus being. My son still has preschool, my daughter still wants to give hugs all the time (yup, it’s adorable), and my husband still needs me to stand in line to get Tony Dungy’s signature. Life goes on. But whether LIVING goes on is up to me. I became immersed in my yogic self throughout teacher training, was reminded constantly of who I truly am. Now, it is up to me.

Don’t get me wrong, I still have my beautiful friends I gained throughout the training and loving friends and family who want to support me on my journey. But no one else can do it for me. No one else can tell me to work on contacting yoga studios if I’m slouching on the couch munching on Wheat Thins. No one else can make the decision as to whether a nap will refresh me or if it is a waste of time. No one else can live for me.

I’m fortunate. I’ve had glimpses of what it is to LIVE, what it means to be fully alive. Having tasted the delicious beauty, I can never go back to sleep again without at least longing to be awake. (Not to say I don’t - every day is another challenge, countless moments whizzing by that are either lived, or not.) But what does this mean for you? If you were to read this, would you just say “that’s nice” and go back to your coffee? (No judgments…I head straight to my chai after looking at it.) Would it spark anything in you? And if it does, just for a moment, do you intend on being someone who is ok with not LIVING?